Make Useful Notes. INTRODUCTION.

A framework for taking smart notes. From Make Useful Notes.

It was on March 2nd, 2022, when I attended the Eventbrite event “Sketchnoting with Mike Rohde” [1]. Therefore, it was an intense pleasure for me to have a live online workshop together with him and more than a hundred participants.

As I listened to his voice and watched his live presentation, I also watched the chat stream powered by some of the most active visitors. Some of these were questions for Mike, some were answers to questions Mike asked the audience. Suddenly I stopped reading: A few keywords with the phrase “Zettelkasten” appeared on the screen.

Never heard the word “Zettelkasten” in connection with sketchnoting. Long story short, I bought the book the next day and was intrigued from the start. The book opened a door for me to solve my personal problem of organizing my notes and also my sketchnotes.

Yes, that is how the story of Zettelkasten and sketchnotes starts for me. But what are your questions you might have when reading this book about using sketchnotes and Zettelkasten to improve visual and networked thinking with Obsidian? Questions I would be happy to answer in the following chapters:

• What is a Zettelkasten and how does it work?
  See chapter: Understand Zettelkasten Framework (p. 52)
• What are sketchnotes and how can they be used to improve visual thinking?
  See chapter: Understand Sketchnotes Basics (p. 84)
• How can the combination of sketchnotes and a Zettelkasten be used to improve networked thinking and knowledge management?
  See chapter: BUILD UP YOUR WORKFLOW (p. 101)
• How can Obsidian be used to create and organize a Zettelkasten?
  See chapter: USE DIGITAL TOOLS TO SUPPORT YOUR WORKFLOW (p. 145)
• What are some best practices for using sketchnotes and a Zettelkasten with Obsidian?
  See chapter: BENEFIT FROM UNLIMITED PRACTICES (p. 157)
• Are there any specific challenges or pitfalls to be aware of when using this approach?
  See chapter: Avoid Pitfalls (p. 159)
• What are some examples of how others have used sketchnotes and a Zettelkasten with Obsidian to improve their thinking and knowledge management?
  See chapter: Learn from the Best (p. 44)

Overall, you will learn about the specific techniques and tools involved in using sketchnotes and a Zettelkasten with Obsidian, as well as how to apply these techniques and tools in a practical way to improve your own visual and networked thinking.

So, let’s start.

[1] Mike Rohde, ‘Sketchnoting with Mike Rohde’, Eventbrite, 2 March 2022, https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/269815965817?aff=efbneb.

Thanks very much! I really appreciate you reading my work. If you enjoyed it and found it useful, you might also like the related book “TAKE USEFUL NOTES. A simple guide to a complex skill by using Sketchnotes, Obsidian and Zettelkasten”. Here’s your free copy